We chat with author Brigitte Knightley about The Exquisite Torment of Loving Your Enemy, which sees the stakes are high, the love is forbidden, and the slow burn turns steamy in this swoony, witty, and heart-stoppingly romantic sequel to instant New York Times bestseller The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy.
Hi, Brigitte! Quick lightning round! Tell us:
- The first book you ever remember reading: Beatrix Potter, The Tale of Peter Rabbit!
- The one that made you want to become an author: Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice
- The one that you can’t stop thinking about: at the moment, Jane Eyre
The Exquisite Torment of Loving Your Enemy is the second installment in your Dearly Beloathed series and it’s out now! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?
Please may I have six words?
“Down bad crying at the gym”
For readers who haven’t picked up The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy, what can they expect?
The Irresistible Urge to Fall For Your Enemy is about an ice queen of a healer and a dashing assassin who each think they are the story’s main character and consider the other an unfortunate and temporary hanger-on. They are forced to work together. Love – to their vast horror – ensues.
And for those who have, what’s to come in the sequel?
The Exquisite Torment of Loving Your Enemy delivers exactly what it says on the tin: a tortuous slow burn & the inherent eroticism of a forbidden romance between a healer and an assassin.
Were there any moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring further?
Genuinely there is little I love more than writing the yearning stage of an enemies-to-lovers tale, especially when paired with angst – and there’s an ample serving of both in this novel. I like to make characters suffer & grow light-headed at the brush of the other’s fingertips.
Did you face any challenges whilst writing? How did you overcome them?
Honestly, I’m so grateful that I debuted with a duology – I avoided the worst of ‘second book syndrome’ because I already knew the world, the plot, the voices. I think the toughest part was writing on a deadline. I am dreadfully slow. I look with envy on writers who knock out drafts in a few months. Please teach this slug your ways.
What’s next for you?
I will be announcing something new soon, at the moment I can tell you it’s another novel set in the same world as the Dearly Beloathed duology, but focusing on one of the other Orders!
Lastly, what books are you looking forward to picking up? Any you’ve read so far this year that you’ve enjoyed?
Recently I adored Sunflower Season by Danica Nava and Hawk & Sparrow by Ayana Gray! Both will be out this autumn.
